Stuart Littlewood

In an interview with Muslim Press, pro-Palestinian activist Stuart Littlewood said, “I expect BDS to grow in support and scope as Western governments continue their craven subservience to Israel.”

“BDS is civil society's response to the civilised world's failure to deal effectively with the rogue regime and its never-ending crimes in the Holy Land. It is a most effective tool - or will be once a critical mass of active support is achieved, and that point is not far off.”

Below, the full transcript of the interview has been presented.

Muslim Press: Do you think the BDS campaign will be further restricted in the coming years?

Stuart Littlewood: I expect BDS to grow in support and scope as Western governments continue their craven subservience to Israel. BDS is civil society's response to the civilised world's failure to deal effectively with the rogue regime and its never-ending crimes in the Holy Land. It is a most effective tool - or will be once a critical mass of active support is achieved, and that point is not far off.

It is no accident that Mark Regev, Netanyahu's chief disinformation expert, was appointed as Israel's ambassador in London last year. Israel is clearly panicking over the growing pressure exerted by BDS and it has been his job to step up propaganda activity and dirty tricks. We saw evidence of this very recently when it was revealed by an Al Jazeera undercover investigation that a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy, Shai Masot, had been plotting with stooges among British MPs and other snakes in the political woodwork to “take down” senior government figures including Boris Johnson’s deputy at the Foreign Office, Sir Alan Duncan.

And Regev's arrival coincided with a sharp rise in hysteria over fake or exaggerated anti-Semitism charges, especially in the Labour Party where moves are afoot to oust Jeremy Corbyn, its recently-elected leader who, in the past, has been far too sympathetic to the Palestinian cause for many MPs' taste.

Regev, personal spokesman of the Zionist regime’s prime minister, has been allowed to stay in the UK when he should have been unceremoniously booted out. “The UK has a strong relationship with Israel and we consider the matter closed,” said high-level crackpots in the British government. So he remains here to carry on with his evil work trying to justify Israel’s slaughter, ethnic cleansing, land-grabbing, cruelty and blatant disregard for international law and UN resolutions.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May says she plans to mark the centenary of the infamous Balfour Declaration later this year “with pride”. What's more, she has invited Netanyahu to the celebrations. This will not only stiffen the resolve of BDS activists but infuriate the wider public. So I think we can anticipate a big boost in support for civil society action, provided the BDS movement makes the most of the shameful situation with a shrewd publicity and promotional strategy.

She has also condemned BDS calling it wrong and unacceptable and warning that her government will have “no truck with those who subscribe to it”. 200 legal scholars and practising lawyers from 15 European countries have warned her that BDS is a lawful exercise of freedom of expression and outlawing it undermines a basic human right. One expert said that advocating for BDS is part of the fundamental freedoms protected by the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. Another that repressing BDS amounts to supporting Israel’s violations of international law and failing to honour the solemn pledge by states to ‘strictly respect the aims and principles of the Charter of the United Nations’.

MP: What’s your take on the crackdown of critics under anti-Semitism charges – especially in Britain and the US?

Stuart Littlewood: "Under its current leadership, Labour allows its members to say whatever they wish about Jews," writes Stephen Pollard in the Jewish Chronicle.

https://www.thejc.com/comment/comment/a-shameful-day-for-labour-1.435817 "The JC has had the unpleasant task over the past year of reporting a seemingly unending series of anti-Semitic words and deeds by Labour members, and the party’s response has been simply to shrug its shoulders."

He was referring to the Labour Party's decision to suspend its unrepentant naughty boy Ken Livingstone for a second year for having said 11 months ago: "When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews." He unwisely made the remark in a confrontation with the obnoxious chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Semitism, John Mann, in front of cameras.

Yes, it was bound to ruffle a few feathers. But Livingstone, a veteran servant of the party, immediately lost his place on the all-powerful National Executive Committee and was barred from taking part in upcoming elections to it.

This was just one incident among many in a sinister game within Labour to suspend opponents of the Israel lobby on bogus allegations of anti-Semitism (details of which are not revealed even to the alleged culprit) so that they can be removed from positions of influence and immobilised long enough to be replaced by more Zio-friendly individuals. And party leader Jeremy Corbyn seems too petrified to do anything about it.

While the Labour Party was thrashing about in agony on the torture-rack of the anti-Semitism Inquisition, Gilad Atzmon posted a useful video on his blogsite titled “How to combat Anti-semitism”. If our society was as riddled with irrational hatred of Jews as the Zionist Mafioso claim, went the message, maybe there’s a reason…. These gems were among the nuggets of advice:

Please stop obsessing over Israel. If you wish to enjoy the British or American way of life remember your first loyalty is to the UK or US. Quit calling on MPs and Congressmen to expend blood and treasure on war with whoever Israel happens to dislike today. If you’re so concerned about the Jewish state’s ‘security’ kindly go fight, bleed and pay for it yourselves.

You also have your own ethnic nation, Israel. We don’t have such a thing. In this age of enlightenment, the 21st Century, it’s considered wrong – downright evil actually – for us to want our own white Christian country all to ourselves. Your ethnic homeland has walls and gun towers to keep out displaced Arabs and other non-Jews. We’re not allowed to eject or keep out those we don’t want. Double standards again.

You can shout “anti-Semitism” all you like but why should we consider your opinion until you explain rationally why Israel and its supporters insist on one law (or one set of standards) for themselves and another law (or another set of standards) for Palestinians and the rest of us? How should decent folk respond to a regime that endlessly oppresses Christian and Muslim communities in the Holy Land and has subjected them to brutal military occupation for almost 50 years? Or to those who admire and defend such cruelty?

I'm reminded of one of Israel’s own former military intelligence chiefs, Yehoshafat Harkabi, who warned that the Israelis’ misconduct would be paid for by Jews throughout the world. For peaceful co-existence, therefore, pay attention to Harkabi.

Besides, Pollard's remarks are particularly silly in the light of recent advice from two leading law experts, Hugh Tomlinson QC and Sir Stephen Sedley, that the European Convention on Human Rights provides for freedom of expression, including information or ideas that “offend, shock or disturb the State or any sector of the population". Unless, of course, such views are used to stir up violence, hatred or intolerance. Furthermore, in public debates all concerned should be allowed to express their opinions and ideas without fear, even if they are contrary to those defended by the official authorities or by a large part of public opinion, or even if those opinions and ideas are irritating or offensive to the public.

This of course has implications for BDS because advocating boycott, divestment or sanctions against Israel cannot properly be characterized as anti-Semitic. And according to the experts the 1986 Education Act established an individual right of free expression in all higher education institutions "which cannot be cut back by governmental policies".

In addition, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives everyone "the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".

All this ought to be enough to arm party bosses and others with the resolve to deal firmly with the Israel lobby's tiresome claims to special protection for their delicate sensibilities.

MP: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: "When I saw pictures of babies suffocating from a chemical attack in Syria, I was shocked and outraged. There's no, none, no excuse whatsoever for the deliberate attacks on civilians and on children." What's could you say about this?

Stuart Littlewood: Always the comedian, Bibi.

No excuse whatsoever, of course. Since 2009, under Netanyahu's watch as Israeli prime minister, his forces have slaughtered 699 Palestinian children and 331 Palestinian women. That's according to the Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem. What's this thug's excuse? Ah yes, Israel's 'security', I bet.

Stuart Littlewood worked on jet fighters in the RAF then pursued an industrial marketing career in petroleum, manufacturing and electronics, finally becoming a consultant in innovation research and new product development. He has served as a county councillor and police authority member and produced two photo-documentary books including 'Radio Free Palestine' - see www.radiofreepalestine.org.uk. Now retired he has contributed hundreds of articles to internet news and opinion magazines about the Palestinians' struggle for freedom and the Zionist threat to the West.